Who We Are and What We Do for the Community...
We try to
provide a way for groups, individuals and families to get involved. We have started this with our Sunday lunch ministry. Through the community, we provide meals in an area and during a time where many do not have access to meals.
Bring your talents and interests to the team! We hope that you will find a way get involved. For example, Mission From Mars team members have created their own groups who join the community on Sunday:
Donation Drive- Clothing, backpacks, blankets, sleeping bags, tents, socks, underwear, shoes, and blessing/comfort bags. Anyone can organize clothing/shoe drives or make blessing bags for the homeless! We do ask that you bring them down to the Sunday lunch spot. The information is under "contact us". We ask that it is clean without stains, smells, rips, or pet hairs.
Motivational Speaking or sharing the Gospel- Before the lunch begins, we always say a prayer and give thanks to the Lord for what we do have.
Support the larger organizations- We collaborate with other groups with similar goals. We are also involved in meetings within the City of Pittsburgh that creates a collaboration among different leaders working to serve the homeless. This helps us organize among each group so we do not overlap services or encroach on encampment areas. We do not want group A going to camp, and then group B going to camp 2 hours later. We work to protect their living space and privacy.
What we do, for the homeless and those in need:
- You Are Not Alone: Our goal is for all of our friends to know that they are not alone, God is with them, and that there are friends who are here to help.
- Focus On Survival: We serve primarily only those individuals that are currently homeless or living below thee poverty level, and we also help those in need that do have shelter or housing.
- Community: We hope to provide a gathering place on Sundays for the homeless to fellowship with the community and also provide support to their fellow homeless. Mission from Mars provides compassion to PEOPLE who need it. We don’t judge, but we do listen. We understand that many of the people we serve are fighting addictions and some pretty terrible life circumstances. Often what is needed is just a person who is willing to take time to listen.
- Resources: We provide information and resources to the homeless – access and information regarding where to go and what organizations will help them with jobs, housing, bathing/restroom facilities, mental heath, addiction services, and much more.
- We Listen and we seek out needs and work as a group to fulfill them. We attempt and deliver what they may need for survival and also provide items and food directly to our friends.
- We Give Hand Up's Not Hand Out's: We go above and beyond just a Sunday meal. When first working on the streets there is a tendency to want to "fix" their problems. We have learned you have to allow room for them to help themselves. However, we have found donors to directly pay a landlord for security deposit/first month rent, utility deposits, food, assisted with jobs, Christmas presents for children, furnished entire apartments, firewood in encampments during winter, supplies to live sanitary in encampment areas, bus tickets out of state, specialty items needed to work, and even threw a baby shower. One time someone donated their empty rental unit and we gave a family a home!